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abrakamowse replied to Angelo John Gage's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
@Joseph Maynor I don't make any difference between the label "God" and the label "Reality", but I know others don't do that. They don't get that all are labels and they give God human like attributes. But he doesn't have any attributes and he/she/it is impersonal. -
As said by Kundalini custom, there are seven distinctive kundalini chakras (energy center) situated along the spine as well as in the brain. The central energy center is not single symbolic ideas they are in fact certain energy drive within our body. Let’s have a look at these 7 Kundalini Chakras. These chakras are authorized through a force named Prana, which arrives the human body over the procedure of breathing. In a technical context, these delicate energy vortexes allowing the human scheme could be assumed in terms of the electromagnetic dynamic of element physics. The Kundalini Chakras are actually a cosmic original dance of stuff shifting into energy as well as vice versa as defined through relevant physics. As experts are noticing, as well as whatever the antique practitioner of Kundalini knew centuries before, our builds are not just stuffed somewhat they are energy in gesture. Science furthermore confesses that it does not understand the fundamental forces that create and withstand life force. Spiritual trials over the ages have revealed that the human mind itself is proficient of focusing straight upon the source of life. Awareness is the crucial tool for partaking and meeting in the last fundamental force that authorizes our life. Kundalini meditation is a precise and exact method for growing the conscious mind toward the existence of the seven spirited centers otherwise Kundalini Chakras in the body. Over-focusing often on these chakras we study toward balancing our active systems for the profound awakening of awareness. This aids in balancing the lively schemes in our body as well as also growing the flow of energy over all the seven Kundalini Chakras so that the whole being converts one through the universal. One of the maximum widespread mistakes around emerging Kundalini is that it wakes all at once, as well as that “Third Eye” opens entirely, and we would abruptly be flooded through psychic visions that may make us sense crazy as well as out of control. Kundalini Charkas are similar an opening of a camera lens that while opened are water-logged with light, through energy through info. To take an image, toward record every little point of echo, the aperture requisite single open momentarily to capture hundreds of thousands of minute particulars. It is similar to the third eye, otherwise any of the Kundalini chakras for that stuff. While the third eye open, the mind is underwater through light, insight, and motivation. This is an actual communal meditation experience. It could happen progressively over time, otherwise quite rapidly. If the third eye opens extensive and it is sudden, this usually happens for a period, as well as then re-calibrates toward a new opening setting that is additional free than beforehand, however not extensive open incessantly. While we fall in love, The heart chakra opens wide. Love pours in as well as gushes out. The domain is ripe through possibility as well as charged with electricity. As well as then our hearts settle downcast and get contented through the relation. Some persons complain of tedium while all the eagerness subsides. This complaint applies toward both individuals who have had melodramatic Kundalini proficiencies as well as to those who are curved on the excitement of new love, however, grow exhausted of functioning to keep a rapport vital. Kundalini Chakras as well as Scientific View Start meditators report all types of wonder, which are not a phenomenon, however, rather the first opening of the internal senses deep feelings, Visions, the sensing of scents that are not present, etc.. Kundalini takes over meditation, whether you place that name on it otherwise not. While the awareness is still, Kundalini could rise. The ecstasy, the enthusiasm, the love, new knowledge as well as motivation sustained on for a week. However then, as I performed on the regulation, the vitality evened out. An additional way of saying this is—It became acquainted. This is how Kundalini awakeningcould be. At first, utterly astonishing; as well as then the body re-adjusts as well as it doesn’t seem so momentous. Some account of Kundalini experience is deeply moving as well as others sound similar psychotic episode. The frightening reports I trust are to be taken with a grain of salt. Kundalini experiences are particular. It is all in the analysis. If your third eye opens as well as you abruptly know stuff that you did not know before, otherwise see stuff that you couldn’t see beforehand it might seem scary, particularly if you have no background for it. My gut response to the persons who write around the fears of Kundalini is that they are functioning over their doubts of powerlessness as well as persecution. If they possessed their part in the procedure as well as did not blame this on Kundalini, they would tell somewhat a different story. Kundalini drives fears as well as egoic structures toward the surface toward being released. If you do not want toward let go of these, then it is perhaps finest not toward practice Kundalini meditation. Settled, individual Kundalini involvements could be unsettling. However, these episodes infrequently last extended. A female in my meditation course had a few weeks of instinctive undulating that occurred while she meditated as well as even occasionally when she napped, which awakened her up. While I say undulating, it is not that her body was writhing. However, the energy intimates her was. It was passionate, as well as she was incapable to stop it. When it occurred her heart would contest with fear. Progressively as she established this procedure as releasing old fears as well as only observed and permitted it, the swelling energy flattened out as well as became enjoyable. Meanwhile, then she has less fear around the whole lot in her life as well as is stepping out into the domain in a method she was not able to earlier. We each have our individual exclusive purpose in life, as well as Kundalini is the carrier that conveyances that knowledge toward our awareness. Kundalini revivals are not arbitrary, but somewhat they are an assertion of a hugely powerful intellect at work. I want to underline the significance of being open toward any experience as Kundalini wakes. If you have fears otherwise resistance around how or while Kundalini will awaken, then it’s significant toward face those fears as well as get to a place inside wherever you are not anxious. Having faith in the procedure, having confidence in the wisdom as well as supervision that drives to you. And trusting that the world is a safe place for you to enlarge, grow plus learn. In realism, there’s a massive quantity of energy transmission passages over which the energy of the etheric air flows however 3 of them are vital. Those are Ida Nadi Sushumna Nadi, as well as Pingala Nadi. The awareness of the kundalini yoga is related to the utmost crucial channel otherwise passageway – the Sushumna spiritual energy watercourse, as well as less to the idea plus Pingala. The energy which runs through these mental pathways is frequently named Prana. To be precise, the Kundalini Chakras are the distinctive seven Kundalini Chakras which, if clean plus organized, can action definitely on the procedure of proceeding the kundalini energy alongside the backbone. Fundamentally, the kundalini is “vigor yoga,” pin gala suggesting that we should control the vibrant force and delicate power, which is the Kundalini. The idea plus Pingala Nadis are going up in a helical method, crossing the spine on a few points, while the Sushumna channel goes straight up. All three energy paths start on the base otherwise kundalini growing chakra, as well as converge once over in the Manipura stomach nerve plexus chakra, at that time once additional they cross the throat chakra unless Vishudha, as well as in the finish they encounter in the Sahasrara area otherwise top chakra. The Sushumna is the main psychic stream; this is of pale yellow tint; it goes alongside the spinal cord, from first toward the seventh chakra. This is in realism the conduit of Kundalini energy, which is asleep and is sluggish than the ordinary individual. When awaken, this energy must advance passing over the seven Kundalini chakra Pingala The Nadi is azure; its natural surroundings is of yang vigor; it is a canal that conveys physical as well as mental energy. The Pingala goes upwards, as well as the flow finishes at the right body sideways on the topmost of the head. Ida is pink; its natural surroundings is of female yin energy; it is more passionately pointed. The Ida canal flows downwards as well as ends at the leftward sideways of the body. The main seven Kundalini Chakras are located at seven spirit heights. Five of the chakras are combined, plus two are unpaired suggesting that they have no back end. The undivided chakras are the first as well as the seventh energy middles. Kundalini meditation is a formula of Yoga that emphases on the energy which streams up and downcast the spine. In Eastern philosophies, this Kundalini vigor is signified as a serpent wound at the base of the back. The drive of performing Kundalini meditation is to an emphasis on that energy so as to bring oneself to an upper state of awareness and self-realization. This energy is all around us as well as it does not differentiate among good plus bad, positive or negative. It is an impersonal force that could be used to heal in addition to generating a sense of enduring well-being while meditation is practiced properly. What is the procedure of Kundalini Emerging? Kundalini energy functions over the Chakras to convey about self-actualization as well as enlightenment, or else recognized as Shakti. As you initiate the procedure of meditation, your Kundalini energy initiates to create its way up your backbone column as well as opens up each Chakra one by one. This procedure can occur in a stuff of minutes, however reaping the profits of the procedure can take years. Each Chakra has a quantity lifetime lessons to be learned, as well as dependent on such issues as your individual life experiences, emotional development, and divine involvement some lessons might be additional of a challenge toward learning than others. Whatsoever your situation might be, the award of a clearer integrity, as well as closer liaison with the Universe, is worth it. Here are few of the profits of Kundalini Spiritual Growth Growing your Kundalini vigor is a fast track toward getting in touch with your divine nature. Many persons who start a Kundalini practice, report feeling a more profound connection to the Universe as well as humanity as an entire. For those who have beforehand not had a divine linking in their lives, they might feel bound toward seeking out a formula of mysticism that speaks to them as well as practice it. Physical Aptness Kundalini is not simply the maximum spiritually founded meditation practices. However, it is also one of the utmost physicals. Kundalini consists of accomplishment certain Kriyas which resemble Chakras in the physique. Execution these Kriyas throughout meditation aids to activate as well as support the equivalent Chakra however also giving your physique the physical advantage of losing weight as well as building muscle. Enhanced Thinking plus Well-Being Meditation of any kinds will develop your thinking, however, it is even additional so with Kundalini. As you meditate, you would begin toward free yourself of the adverse thought designs that numerous of us have developed above our lives. Clearing the attention of useless mess also permits for clearer thinking as well as the ability toward taking states and the world into an additional even perception rather than one that is skewed through outside influences. Whatsoever your height of practice is nowadays, engaging in a Kundalini practice can advantage you in numerous ways. The most significant thing to retain in mind is to have an open mind plus heart, as you open your Chakras as well as an initiate to gain insight into your own being, your mysticism will follow. Meditation is an essential part of Opening, Harmonizing and healing the physique’s Chakra System.
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This was in response to a PM… I was asked to describe how I carry on from day to day, and note any "techniques" I use. No techniques… just a sensitivity toward the flow of psychological content day in and day out. Simply noting the mental contents without continuing along with their flow is all one can do. It is an ongoing subtlety. Sometimes I'm not so successful for a time. Whether I'm successful or not isn't as important as just continuing to note the chatter or silence without entertaining thoughts of anticipation— just accepting inherent goodness, as is; and resting in the gracious satisfaction of what is, as the natural course of being, sensing: knowledge without identification. What is key is not being attached to outcomes; just a dedication to meeting the requirements of subtle (or not) response to everyday ordinary situations. A buddhist directive is to "see through phenomena without denying its characteristics." In other words, meet creation with potential (I touched on that in my response to your OP); that is, deal with the situation on its terms without getting caught up in the flow of personality identity issues or anticipating and clinging to outcomes. It is a matter of not positing personalistic thought patterns in the course of responding to phenomena according to the situation's potential. Assessing situational potential is not a matter of speculative (what's in it for me) mental gymnastics, it is actually seeing what is, and directing a sustained course toward a (sometimes distant) point which is dependent on the situation itself. It is the situational potential one responds to, because any situation is a created cyclic event. Taoism is an awareness tradition that espouses elemental distinctions for working with creative (created) cycles as a science. Spiritual adepts master seeing reality in order to follow along with creation's flow of events with a non-psychological perspective void of personalistic selfish views in order to "gather" its unrefined karmic potential. Simply by not entertaining selfish views nor being attached to outcomes, one's response IS to potential, in terms of the situation itself. It's not a calculated affair. It's spontaneous and non-psychological. And that is spiritual. That's easy to say but hard to implement sometimes, in that the spirit of the directive is not advocating a prejudicial posture of robotic insularity (in terms of a perceived hostile environment). The key is being aware of the real potential comprising the situation and working with that, over the long term, so as to keep a consistency relative to the situation's karmic evolution. In terms of warfare, it's best to win without fighting. If one must fight, it's best to conclude hostilities in the shortest time as possible. A long drawn-out contention is not always avoidable. That's why saints, sages, buddhas and spiritual adepts apply themselves by working at the most subtle level of impersonal energy they possibly can. Dealing with situational potential is a subtle affair. Just this is powerfully subtle spiritual practice in and of itself. The entire situation is an organic karmic entity with many smaller karmic cycles comprising the larger. That's why war is the last resort of enlightening leadership. As such, warfare is. There has never been a time in human affairs where it hasn't been exercised. And to that end, it can (and should) be profitable to wage it. Potential is the "workable" aspect of essence, in that it is unrefined. That's the karmic element spiritual adepts work with in order to refine themselves. They work with essence. Using situations to gratify the self is utter bondage to karmic evolution that never transcends creation. Working with essence directly without intermediary is the means to self-refinement by virtue of using situations to transcend creation while in its midst. Transcendence is not about conjuring a state whereby one floats in the air (not that I don't recommend it highly), it is, in taoist parlance, "planting lotuses in fire, sublimating oneself spiritually and physically in order to enter the Tao in Reality." Essence is not different than karma, but neither is it the same. Potential is the name used to point out the occult functionality. That's what is driving situations anyway, but not assuming ascendency over the karmic reality by sheer force of will is the only real "technique" I can ascribe to in the course of spiritual alchemy. One does not rely on one's own power, one only uses (gathers) the potential inherent in the situation itself simply by virtue of seeing reality. Sometimes, the best thing is to withdraw from the situation, either physically or by choosing to vacate that particular psychological space. Right now I'm not talking to my mother… hahahhaaa!! ed note: add "or anticipating and clinging to outcomes" in 8th; expand topic of warfare in 12th;"… is the only real "technique" I can ascribe to…" in next-to-last paragraph
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deci belle replied to Crystalous's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
hi Crystalous~ that's a lot of questions! It is so very important to ask these questions too! Enlightenment is not the person. Who asks? Enlightenment is itself the question, and enlightenment is itself the answer. One's enlightening function is activated to the degree the person stops acting compulsively based of views of self and other. Self and other aren't changed, and enlightening activity isn't based on self/other dynamics. Seeing self and other without compulsively identifying as the situational personality is all it amounts to. That much doesn't even depend on sudden enlightenment happening to you. The reason why is that enlightenment is already the nature of awareness. Though ordinary people are aware, they are not awake. What's the difference? Ordinary people use consciousness to create illusion. As for those whose enlightening potential is functionally non-dual with respect to everyday ordinary situations, the simple fact is that reality and delusion looks exactly the same to them (because those two aspects of duality are the same). But only those who are awake see reality— whereas ordinary people see delusion simply due to the fact that delusion is the act of seeing self and other compulsively through identifying as the situational personality. And acting on such presumption (selfishness) is what results in consequences that perpetuate the illusion of the false self. Consequences is what constitutes karmic bondage. Since enlightenment is not the person, nor is it relative to the person, who would judge personally? Objectivity is the hallmark of enlightening being. Instantaneous knowledge transcends discriminatory consciousness. Judgement, is relative to the self, whereas knowledge is absolute. If you know what it is, who it is, how it is …what's to judge? Who's to judge? What could there be to act on? There is no "who" relative to knowledge. It just is. Enlightening response is relative to the power of unrefined potential inherent in the situation itself. Enlightening being isn't the person. It's spiritual. If reality and delusion are the same, how is that so? It is only in seeing reality by virtue of non-psychological awareness that individuals are able to see without identifying with the person seeing. It is seeing alone which constitutes enlightenment. There is no other enlightenment. That seeing is impersonal or selfless. Selfless is the nature of awareness. It's not good or bad. It certainly isn't self or other! But it's not different either. It is simply what constitutes unity, that is, reality. Those who see reality, actually see delusion as non-dual. That is how enlightenment works in terms of everyday ordinary situations. As for internal dialog, real knowledge is not a matter of words. Internal dialog is a habit that only serves to perpetuate the false self by cultivating and grooming a sense of self, relative to others. Mental hygiene is basically cultivated by perpetually observing the thinking mind by the non-thinking mind. It's not that there are two minds. Mind is one, and mind is the true self that has never thought a thought, much to the chagrin of the false self who uses awareness to create illusion. You are already a "normal enlightened person" because you don't know your own mind right now. Your own basic mind right now is already enlightenment itself but you don't see it because the basic mind is completely occupied with perpetuating the illusions of psychological momentums that have no beginning. Clinging to such momentums perpetuates karmic evolution and further solidifies its tendencies. That's why you say that we are not enlightened. But enlightenment has no tendencies; it is spontaneously as is. Since delusion and reality both have no beginning, and mind is one, how can we arrive at seeing the truth of the matter of life and death? Somehow, it is possible to stop acting on illusion, and therefore stop perpetuating bondage to it. Drugs can have a (hopefully) temporary effect on the calcified habit-energy already dominating the thinking mentality. Certain drugs affect certain people a certain way, in that it is possible to use drugs effectively, in order to break up the learned psychological certainty of an absolute selfhood, based on the thinking mentality. But only certain people at certain times during their lives, are susceptible to the the advantageous use of certain drugs, for the purpose of breaking down the the certainty of the false self without damaging its beneficial aspects. Ego is inherently unstable. One must have a healthy, light-hearted, good-natured, non-calculating sobriety in order to approach the use of drugs without developing psychological and physical dependancies on the chemical, neurological and sensual elements involved in experiencing their effects. People who spontaneously see their nature and experience sudden enlightenment realize that they have never existed (nor has anything existed). As such, enlightenment is already what is innate without even being created; without you even being created. People who see this and know this realize that enlightenment doesn't change anything because enlightenment is itself the Changeless. Awareness is miraculously so~ no one knows why it is the way it is. It is our true selflessly so nature, complete and perfect in every way. Since we are created, it is a long (natural) process to reverse the incrementality of karmic bondage and instantaneously revert to the uncreated source of our essential nature and it is also a long process to integrate the experience and inherent power of the Absolute in our lives in its aftermath. "People become buddhas and buddhas become people." Therefore, people who experience their nature aren't any different before or after seeing their nature. What that means (to answer your very astute question), is that ego is not a bad thing at all. Ego is a function of the psychological apparatus of the being that is going to die. So to "become egoic again and forget the wisdom you gained" isn't the issue because enlightenment can't be gained. Nothing is gained by complete perfect enlightenment. The individual who experiences the Absolute is not different nor the same because just this is the nature of inconceivability. Knowledge of not-knowing has its effect on those who experience open selfless primal awakening to inherent non-origination. Ultimately, there is absolutely nothing to know but by virtuous reception of inherent potential through nature of awareness itself. The phenomenal realm is to be adapted to on its terms without attachment to outcomes. Adapting through potential directly, there is nothing else and there is nothing left to do by enlightenment. By virtue of delusion, one sees reality step by gradual step. Seeing reality does not depend on experiencing sudden enlightenment— neither before nor after. The gradual and the sudden are a seamless continuum. When conditions meet, reality is perpetually on the brink. This is arrival; presence: resting in the highest good. The real issue in terms of the aftermath of seeing essence (seeing your nature) is that habit energy CAN re-assert itself by degrees. That's why it is necessary for people to practice gradual self-refinement before AND after sudden illumination, by watching over the thinking mind 24/7, so as to avoid following it unawares. That alone is the best thing people can practice. Mind watching mind in terms of the created is not so different than mind seeing mind in terms of the absolute. Mind is one. Entry into the inconceivable is seeing that Creation is not other than the Absolute. This is the meaning of unified awareness~ not that it means something, because there is no intrinsic meaning nor is there anything psychologically or physiologically relative to Thusness. The whole point of enlightenment (relative to enlightening activity) is that we learn to adapt enlightenment to delusional conditions. Why? Because enlightenment is not separate from ignorance. Seeing your nature is one thing, but learning to make it the essence of your life is quite another. Enlightenment is the vehicle; delusion is the path. ed note: add "What could there be to act on?…" 12th; add most of the 21st (after the quote); add most of 24th and 25th paragraphs -
@Leo Gura Also thought this...it's just a tool, the trap would be to overly attach to the number. Altough so far I found the Enneagram to be more helpful and accurate then MBTI. @Girzo It's useful to make us see that what we believed to be personal aspects of ourselves are really just impersonal habitual tendencies. Even the most intimate thoughts/feelings/habits/preferences of behavior are not really personal. This makes it more easy to become aware of them and to disidentify. I think this was the original idea of the Enneagram, and in that sense I believe it can be of good assistance to meditative and yogic practices
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deci belle replied to LastThursday's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
hi mr Thursday~ I hope you don't mind a little certainty in my response~ it's so very important to make these observations such as you have and then further go on to consciously clarify their relativity to each other; Bravo!! I'll be terse-ish… Forget #4 It is just that you don't have a practical control over #3 that you can accept its flow as is. It is possible to develop a type of "control" over dreaming, but it is connected to non-psychological intent. It is not directly related to the thinking and talking mentality. Dreaming is not the same as ordinary dreams. #s 2 and 3 are both conscious awareness in terms of the psychologically biased human mentation. To the degree that waking consciousness is refined, its relative sanity shapes the coherence (or not) of ordinary dreams. General practice toward mental hygiene is critical and warrants a constant 24/7 intent in terms of impersonal nonjudgemental subtle observation. Just being present in this regard helps to keep the "riff-raff" at bay, so to speak, and that clarity of mentation has its beneficial influence. Furthermore, #2 is utterly and literally karmic existence, so I would regard #2 as categorically characteristic of "impermanence", but I understand your terminology because it is literally "what makes the world go round" and is sustaining its seeming solidity. That IS karma; the process that uses primal energy potential to fuel the course of created evolution in lieu of the Absolute. It can also be termed psychological momentum. I don't mean to imply that there is a choice. The Absolute is the same as karma; as such, both are subject to clinging by the human mentality. Just this is the dreamer and the dreamed. The aspect of potential looms over this scheme; it is possible to enter into it as a conscious relationship with unrefined potential inherently within, yet simultaneously not subject to, the laws of creation, karmic existence and eternity. That's what the term liberation denotes. It is not that one is liberated from anything. Liberation, in the buddhist sense, is the freedom of enlightening impersonal adaption to conditions by the fact of complete resonance with the uncreated spiritual potential inherent in situations themselves. That it is unrefined potential with which one is working (from within the contextual micro and macrocosmic aspects of karma), means that there is something as yet undisclosed, unconventional and non-psychological at play. Nobody knows, yet it is completely natural in terms of our inconceivable nature as human beings to facilitate impersonal adaption in the course of ordinary situations unbeknownst to anyone. The world of sensation (#1) seems like that because knowledge is immediate while psychological mechanisms are comparatively slow. I would typify #1 as acknowledgement of the impersonal phenomenal realm. Its immediacy belies the fact that it really is not out there. It is sensed as "impersonal" but not as "other", relative to the personal (ego) identity. "Otherness" relative to the self arises when objects are adhered by discriminatory consciousness, but once ego clings to any one such stimulus, and employs its discriminatory patterns of psychological bias, its projections become self-evident (literally). Any time this happens, #1 turns into #2, and can then fall into further psychological processes such as #3. What you say in regard to #1 in terms of NOW reflects your innate affinity with the property of your own mind before the first thought. NOW exists in terms of awareness, not phenomena. In other words, NOW is attributable to mind. Mind is not only the present, but presence itself. You could adjust your scheme to categorize #1 as immediate knowledge. It's what you know before the first thought, as knowledge (open awareness) is what immediacy/presence is. #1 as categorized in the OP, is really the only thing that isn't within the rubric of psychologically aware process (it is its cause), and as such it could occupy the hierarchy as #0 (as the psychological/non-psychological reference). I have to get cute here and suggest that it is literally potential potential at this point because ordinary people don't know the nature of reality and therefore don't have the power to work with potential directly— but it is necessary to make it clear that one's relationship with creation is up to oneself alone. We don't have to go along with the flow of karmic energy. So the karmic flow (incremental causality as is), is phenomenal experience before the first thought; it is neither real or illusion, in terms of the personality yet. Once mind is involved (with potential), the light of awareness can be followed to its source in each instance (or if buddha-consciousness is stabilized permanently in the individual one can be said to be streaming reality), or it can turn into the gravity of creation/karma (when keyed to objects), according to the habitual psychological patterning of the individual living the dream. Therefore its (reality's) potential energy is a karmically compelling personal liability to the degree the individual personal identity is habituated to its patterns of conditioned compulsions. Being free of compulsion is also indicative of liberation. The power of the dream is relative to the overarching aplomb of the thinker's thinking thoughts self-referencing the thinker. This is known as self-reification. Self-referrencing mentation is what makes and sustains endless rounds of birth and death; that is, karmic bondage, which is definitely not liberation.❤︎ ed note: typo, 3rd; add most of 6th; remove redundant "habituated" in penultimate paragraph -
deci belle replied to Ether's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
In terms of the impersonal absolute, of course buddha isn't capitalized— so Nahm's distinction qualifies its possibilities in contextual usage. The OP is indicative of the author's true wonder into the nature of perception to the point where it is realized that awareness is such that it is possible for people to "discover" its properties— how wonderful! Taoism refers to peoples' unified awake nature as "the real human without status", and "Buddhas" are referred to as "real humans". So even in taoism, the absolute nature of the awake one is personified as a matter of implication due to its intrinsic aspect of phenomenal humanity. The word "one" is indicative of universality, or unity, in terms of the absolute nature of awareness; "one" is not referencing a person in the context that Nahm has pointed out— a lot of people aren't aware of that, so that is an important distinction by Nahm. When it is capitalized (independent of religious emphasis), it refers to the usual (relatively recent historical) suspect— and it is a proper name. Otherwise, the reference indicates inherent buddha nature in terms of the absolute nature of humanity— and that includes everyone right now. All people are potential buddhas already, only we use our complete perfect aware qualities to perpetuate the false psychological identity by using things to gratify the personality, instead of seeing reality impersonally, which then enables us to skillfully use ego-consciousness to adapt to conditions according to the time. Enlightening activity such as this doesn't depend on sudden illumination or rote meditation exercises. It is necessary for each individual to see this and know this personally to enter the path of authentic 24/7 practice that doesn't depend on formal meditation schemes. Those who take the forward step without psychological bias or projections and can truly share themselves with the world are actually clarifying their own potential buddhahood without entertaining anticipation or conceptualization. ed note: add last part of 4th paragraph -
Saumaya replied to MM1988's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
Materialism means you think objects exist as physical objects. That physical reality is real. In contrast to that nondualism means this: Let us define truth. Truth has to be unchanging, impersonal and omnipresent and everpresent. That means that Truth is contained in everything, everywhere at all times. Therefore it can only be one. Now comes you, what is your real nature of you?The answer is the That Truth. So the conclusion is you are everything. As far as your physical reality goes, it subject to continuous change so it is merely a dream. Believing in the dream causes illusion and suffering because anything in the dream cannot be it(Truth). -
DocHoliday replied to MarkusSweden's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
In fact, in addition to what I already said, unconditional love is ultimately equal to impersonal love -- it's just love all on its own. People who are truly unconditionally loving do not essentially radiate with love that is exceptional to the other but instead their very essence has become love. They don't necessarily need someone else to feel or express love since they have realised that true love is in its essence completely impersonal (EDIT) and everything else they might call "love" is merely a compensation for personal lack. -
I love Jim, his early movies are pieces of art! The pet detector in action is hilarious. He seem to be smart and friendly. I saw an old episode with Charlie Rose. Rose went home to Jim, and they had such a good meeting, such an inspiration. Jim told rose how love was the only possibility if two people are open with each other. Thats true! I love that enlightenment not only gain reputation from gurus around the world, preaching for those who already buy the message. With Jim it's different. People might be interested and look into it. Not having anything to do with the spiritual journey before. More celebrities should advocate enlightenment. Well, Operah does, but it's more like her guests, not her really. However, as much as I loved him as a comic actor, as sceptical am I of him as a famous model of enlightenment. It's like he's too hysterical. Too much of that "No Jim Carrey exist"-non sense, even though he's right, he turning it into a weird event or something. Enlightenment is not a stage kind of freak show or laughter. To me, enlightenment is about deep deep feelings of impersonal consciousness! It's impersonal consciousness going full circle to become fully intimate and deeply personal on an existential level. It's peace, like blissful peace, so quiet, so long from Hollywood and glamour. So, is this beloved and intelligent man right for us!?? I'm not sure, it might harm the mass adoption of enlightenment by normies in the years to come.. 2020-2030 What do you think guys?
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Here's what Leo wrote a few hours ago and it serves as a good metaphor I think.. "Reality is an infinite singularity. It is ONE object. On the surface of this "mega-object" are sculpted an infinite number of surfaces. One of those surfaces is your present experience. This object contains every experience ever possible simulateously. There is no consciousness. There is only this object. You are it. But right now you only identify with being a tiny part of the whole. Imagine a giant fur ball, where each hair is a creature such as yourself. This ball contians all creatures and non-creatures alike because it is infinitely hairy. It looks precise as your present experience shows. You are presently being one of those hairs. But you are also the entire ball because the ball is made of nothing but hairs." My elaboration and interpretation: Imagine that this hairball exist within a space. Of course this is just imaginary since the fur ball is everything that is. The added space just serves to explain my insight conceptually. Anyway, if the fur ball move upwards in the space it will increase its consciousness as a whole, it raise its collective consciousness so to speak. And in a corresponding way, it lower its consciousness if the fur ball moves downward in this imaginary space. Now, "you" as a hair are tied to the hairball. And given this circumstances you can't improve "your" consciousness that much if you work upon yourself. Maybe you can improve your position within the hairball, but that's pretty much it. Lets say you can improve your consciousness by a length of a hair to continue this metaphor. But people spend their lifetime on improving their "individual" consciousness to gain enlightenment or whatever, not realising they are on a hopeless journey as long as they are tied to the fur ball as a whole. Working on raising consciousness is a great thing though, probably the greatest way to spend time. But to me its obvious that their is only two approaches to do this in a way that will work and be rewarding. 1. You stop working on "yourself" and working on the whole. This way you work upon the collective consciousness and as a result you move the whole fur ball upwards, if you raise the whole, that means you raise your individual hair as well(since you are tied to the whole). You will end up with a greater gain in consciousness for "your" hair then what you've done if you only worked to improve "yourself"(your own hair). This is very much Leo's path as I see it. He works mainly on the whole, now planning to do traveling to meet people as a compliment to actualized.ord, forum and youtube teachings. 2. Here you need to cut all the ties with the whole in order to work only to raise consciousness in your individual hair so to speak. This way "you" will make huge gains in consciousness, but you can't relate to the whole anymore, it will start to look bizarre from your point of view. It will even start to look bizarre to see people communicate, you are beyond that, you are above thoughts. You will feel complete as this path continues, with intimate connection to impersonal consciousness and intuition, with absolutely no demand for anything the whole has to offer. By cutting ties here, I mean to choose radical solitude. You will no longer have any traction upon the whole(society/people). Your consciousness is above what runs the show on lower levels(the whole) Leo and others, please elaborate! Thanks!
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Shin replied to Flow With Life's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
It isn't, and it is too. And neither. It's totally impersonal, yet loving inconditionally itself. You'll never get it with your mind, it's just paradoxes into more paradoxes, and it never stops. -
SOUL replied to Shanmugam's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
@ShanmugamThe quote you used was him explaining how he himself was teaching the deceptive ideas under the guise of being authentic. He is saying without embracing the story of the wave it isn't authentic, the wave's story is just as real as the ocean's story, even more real. He suggests that the 'impersonal' story is just a personal belief, not an absence of belief as so many have been teaching and this is something that I have been saying for decades. That people don't live in the absolute, or the ultimate as he called it, we live here in life, in the relative as you and many others call it. There really is no absolute truth since 'truth' is comparative term because truth depends on relating to a standard and we cannot perceive that standard, all we have is a relative perception. Even that supposed absolute "truth" standard is a story that humans have conceptualized and projected onto the universe. What it really matters is the point of exploring any of this, it's to cease the source of suffering, it's not chasing after some unknowable ultimate absolute with no standard of comparison, that is the "trap" he is talking about. Healing and ceasing the self caused suffering is attainable in the so called "relative truth", it's attainable in real life, there is no other point to any of this without attaining that, the rest is mental masturbation of chasing abstractions. This is why I speak to the simplicity in just being and that isn't a story about a happy ending, it's a story of joyful being. -
SOUL replied to Shanmugam's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
@Shanmugam It does resonate, I have often questioned some of the 'non-dual' teaching and wondered if it was just adding to the confusion and angst in others. In fact, I am aware of some people who were disturbed by me questioning the effects of it and have taken it personally while claiming they are 'impersonal'. What are your thoughts on it? Does it resonate with you? -
@Nana_Kh I find I can’t think, and focus on breathing from my stomach at the same time. So that’s something you can do anytime, anywhere. Here’s some practices too... Breathe Awareness Meditation Stress is an extremely unhealthy condition. It causes the body to release the chemical cortisol, which has been shown to reduce brain and organ function, among many other dangerous effects. Modern society inadvertently encourages a state of almost continuous stress in people. This is a meditation that encourages physical and mental relaxation, which can greatly reduce the effects of stress on the body and mind. Sit still and pay close attention to your breathing process. Take a reposed, seated posture. Your back should be straight and your body as relaxed as possible. Close your eyes, and bring your attention to your breathing process. Simply notice you are breathing. Do not attempt to change your breath in any way. Breath simply and normally. Try to notice both the in breath and the out breath; the inhale and the exhale. "Notice" means to actually feel the breathing in your body with your body. It is not necessary to visualize your breathing or to think about it in any way except to notice it with your somatic awareness. Each time your attention wanders from the act of breathing, return it to noticing the breath. Do this gently and without judgment. Remember to really feel into the act of breathing. If you want to go more deeply into this, concentrate on each area of breathing in turn. Here is an example sequence: 1. Notice how the air feels moving through your nostrils on both the in breath and the out breath. 2. Notice how the air feels moving through your mouth and throat. You may feel a sort of slightly raspy or ragged feeling as the air moves through your throat. This is normal and also something to feel into. 3. Notice how the air feels as it fills and empties your chest cavity. Feel how your rib cage rises slowly with each in breath, and gently deflates with each out breath. 4. Notice how your back expands and contracts with each breath. Actually feel it shifting and changing as you breath. 5. Notice how the belly expands outward with each in breath and pulls inward with each in breath. Allow your attention to fully enter the body sensation of the belly moving with each breath. 6. Now allow your attention to cover your entire body at once as you breath in and out. Closely notice all the sensations of the body as it breathes. Repeat this sequence over and over, giving each step your full attention as you do it. Suggested time is at least 10 minutes. Thirty minutes is better, if you are capable of it. If you find yourself distracted by a lot of mental chatter, you can use verbal labeling as an aid to concentration. For example, on the in breath, mentally say to yourself, "Breathing in." On the out breath, say, "Breathing out." Another possibility is to mentally count each breath. Awareness of Thoughts Meditation By learning to watch your thoughts come and go during this practice, you can gain deeper insight into thinking altogether (such as its transience) and into specific relationships among your thoughts and your emotions, sensations, and desires. This practice can also help you take your thoughts less personally, and not automatically believe them. Additionally, this meditation can offer insight into any habitual patterns of thinking and related reactions. Observe your thoughts as they arise and pass away. · By “thoughts,” we mean self-talk and other verbal content, as well as images, memories, fantasies, and plans. Just thoughts may appear in awareness, or thoughts plus sensations, emotions, or desires. · Sit or lie down on your back in a comfortable position. · Become aware of the sensations of breathing. · After a few minutes of following your breath, shift your attention to the various thoughts that are arising, persisting, and then passing away in your mind. · Try to observe your thoughts instead of getting involved with their content or resisting them. · Notice the content of your thoughts, any emotions accompanying them, and the strength or pull of the thought. · Try to get curious about your thoughts. Investigate whether you think in mainly images or words, whether your thoughts are in color or black and white, and how your thoughts feel in your body. · See if you notice any gaps or pauses between thoughts. · Every time you become aware that you are lost in the content of your thoughts, simply note this and return to observing your thoughts and emotions. · Remember that one of the brain’s major purposes is to think, and there is nothing wrong with thinking. You are simply practicing not automatically believing and grasping on to your thoughts. · When you are ready, return your attention to your breath for a few minutes and slowly open your eyes. Optional: · There are various metaphors and images you can use to help observe your thoughts. These include: o Imagining you are as vast and open as the sky, and thoughts are simply clouds, birds, or planes passing through the open space. o Imagining you are sitting on the side of a river watching your thoughts float by like leaves or ripples in the stream. o Imagine your thoughts are like cars, buses, or trains passing by. Every time you realize you are thinking, you can “get off the bus/train” and return to observing. Awareness of thoughts and emotions is one of the areas of focus developed when cultivating mindfulness. In Buddhism, mindfulness is one of the seven factors of enlightenment and the seventh instruction in the Noble Eightfold Path. (The Seven Factors of Enlightenment: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/piyadassi/wheel001.html) (The Noble Eightfold Path: https://tricycle.org/magazine/noble-eightfold-path/) CAUTIONS: Please be gentle with yourself if you notice that you are constantly caught up in your thoughts instead of observing them. This is both common and normal. When you realize that you are thinking, gently and compassionately return to observing your thoughts. If the content of your thoughts is too disturbing or distressing, gently shift your attention to your breathing, sounds, or discontinue the practice. · Remember that you are not trying to stop thoughts or only allow certain ones to arise. Try to treat all thoughts equally and let them pass away without engaging in their content. · This practice can initially be more challenging than other meditations. As you are learning, practice this meditation for only a few minutes at a time if that is easier. · It can be helpful to treat thoughts the same way that you treat sounds or body sensations, and view them as impersonal events that arise and pass away. · Some people like to assign numbers or nicknames to reoccurring thoughts in order to reduce their pull and effect. Posture Meditation This body-based meditation is a very effective way to get grounded and centered. It encourages an embodied, calm, and open awareness, and discourages disassociation. If you have a tendency to "leave your body," feel ungrounded, or disassociated, this is a good practice. Sit with your spine straight and aligned, and the rest of your body relaxed. Keep bringing yourself back to this condition. 1. Take a reposed, seated posture. 2. For this meditation, it is very important that your spine is straight. Your neck and back should be in perfect alignment. Your chin should be down very slightly. 3. If you are sitting in a chair, do not rest your spine against the chair. Sit forward so that your spine is supporting its own weight. Let the muscles of the spine be engaged. 4. All the other muscles of your body can be completely relaxed. Allow your face muscles to let go, and your jaw to drop slightly, so that your teeth are not touching. 5. Let your shoulders hang freely, and let your belly be soft and open. 6. This is the posture you are aiming for, with your spine erect and your body completely relaxed. 7. As you sit, keep bringing your awareness back to the fine details of your posture. Notice any time your spine slumps even slightly, your head leans to either side, or any other deviation. Correct these gently and repeatedly. 8. Also notice if any other areas of your body tense up even slightly. If anything is tensing, relax it in a gently and soft manner. 9. Keep checking in with the body, using your body (somatic) awareness; the feeling in your body. Mental images of your body will probably arise, which is fine, but these are not what you are concentrating upon. Instead, concentrate your awareness in the sense of your body. The sensitivity in your muscles, tissues, viscera, skin, and so forth. 10. The more detailed and minute you get with this awareness, the better. Each tiny area of the body has its own sensitivity to contribute. 11. Every once in a while you can zoom out to cover the entire somatosensory field -- the awareness of your entire body -- to bring the overall body back into alignment. 12. Keep relaxing every muscle everywhere. Use just enough tension to keep your spine erect, but no more. 13. Continue this meditation for at least 10 minutes, continuously contacting your body awareness. CAUTIONS: If you have any spinal injuries or severe back pain, it is fine to allow your spine to rest in a pain-free position. If you find yourself distracted by a lot of mental chatter, you can use verbal labeling as an aid to concentration. For example, when checking on the spine, you can say to yourself, "spine in alignment." When checking on the body, say, "body relaxed." Resource for different meditations: https://sites.google.com/site/psychospiritualtools/Home/meditation-practices
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@Joseph Maynor If it were taken personally then where is the trigger switch for conflict mode? Anyway, maybe I could get into impersonal development
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We are discussing impersonal things here. Nobody’s said anything personal. That’s YOUR projection, not anything to do with this discussion.
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deci belle replied to tsuki's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
tsuki's position statements I will address on the most polarized of distinctions, and then perhaps may consider expressing a more subtle treatment. This response is pointed at the issue I perceive tsuki has elucidated, and is not a critique of ego in any way. Ego, per se, is a brilliant functionary in terms of the psychological apparatus of the being that is going to die; yet in the ordinary person, this functionary has usurped its (false) identity from the true self, which taoism calls "the true human with no status", in that ego has no knowledge of the true self or its wholesome, unified perspective and influence. The true human with no status is the unborn functional capacity of unified selfless aware intent, naturally operating as non-psychological awareness, and endowed as Brilliant Virtue, which is the nature of one's inherent enlightening being. Just this is your own empty shining mind right now. The work of self-refinement is to recognize and actualize its potential to the full in one's life. What is termed "my mind" can only be viewed as the human mentality, which is the false mind. "Me" perpetually uses an effectively fabricated (and valid) premise to distinguish between the knower and thought. This is the principle doppelgänger employed, not just by ego, but is in fact the revolving smoke and mirrors that constitutes ego in the first place. It's a phantom obfuscating the real. The real is an unborn potential that can and does operate in terms of one's innate enlightening being, in everyday ordinary situations, unbeknownst to anyone. As for "the past just being a concept…", well so is the "me", the "time", and even the immediate present, unless you actually see Reality, by the impersonally objective perspective of non-psychological awareness. If you see reality, there are no concepts, because everything is empty— including self, other, right, wrong, good, bad, before and after; therefore everything is the same, and can be dealt with objectively as one's unified enlightening potential. Nobody said it is easy, and it's not particularly difficult either, but things always get sticky in terms of personality issues. Even though it is inconceivability itself, it has its own logic, and it works by virtue of Jesus' dictum paraphrased thusly, "to enter the kingdom of god, you must first lay down your life." It just means to revert to your innate selfless spiritual potential by giving up ego's perspective. Buddhism expresses Jesus' "your life" as "neither knower, thinker or liver of life." Taoism simply states, "There is no thing." Just re-gaining the selflessly impersonal perspective in the first place is the profundity lurking throughout every authentic wisdom tradition that manages its viability effectively by keeping the wordless knowledge of transcendent illumination alive. Leo's point about mind's "lying" serves the source intent which is non-originated. It's true. For those who see reality, the lying human mentality is simply self-evident. Not liking the fact that the human mentality is lying is indicative of the self-reifying human mentality. Everything the impostor sees must validate its façade. The false self is averse to anything which compromises its perpetually insecure status. This means anything the human mentality posits is attributable to its own selfish perspective. Selfish means relative to the personality's identity. The mind's way, is discriminatory, in the best sense of the word. Its method is utterly relativistic— just fine for the purpose for which it is intended— which doesn't include usurping the being's spiritual potential by obscurantism and then conveniently obscuring that so there are no tracks… the only crime being the forgetting. Therefore, one of the benefits of enlightenment is in discovering the true state which had been forgotten. As I said above, this is not a critique of ego, per se, it is a description of the pattern of the inception of the karmic situation. When the small comes, the great goes. This is the meaning of the 12th hexagram of the I Ching. Though it IS possible to arrive at objectivity, that is, transcendent truth in the midst of ordinary situations~ nevertheless, it can never be accomplished via the "the supposed mind's way." To call its way "lying" is a graphic device~ and just as true, in absolute terms. ed note: add last line in 7th; add 8th; hot-rod 10th; change "has to" to "must" in 11th paragraph -
Someone sent me a PM recently in response to a comment I made on another thread. Hi there~ Hahhahaha!! My happiness, or anger, or wonder, or terror is just what it is at any moment. I commented (on a separate occasion) on your thread about finding a teacher who has had children. I sensed that you are already very close. You don't need to bother with intellectualizing concepts or pondering the meaning of "emptiness" and "infinity". That's for some other kind of person. At the risk of seeming nihilist, creation (as well as the Absolute) has no meaning. Selfless open sincerity is a natural human capacity already. It's not words. You know just this without talking. In the same way, enlightenment is your nature. It's actually your mind right now. There's no other enlightenment, no other happiness, wonder, no other mind. Enlightenment is just seeing that unborn awareness is all there is; empty, selfless, awake. Seeing your nature, seeing essence, doesn't change anything. Witnessing the Absolute is your own nature witnessing itself— it's the Causelss; the Changeless. It has never begun. If it changed anything, it wouldn't be enlightenment. It's already who you are right now. It's inconceivability. Human beings are inconceivable. It's not the person who witnesses their nature, it's one's own spiritual (wordless) potential reverting to its non-originated source for the first time. It only ever happens once. That's why it is important for mr Ivan (where you saw my comment about not saying anything for 20 years) to be very careful not to squander his over-weaning enthusiasm by spraying about the powerful experiential understanding he realized. Even an ancient taoist spiritual alchemy classic states that if one somehow accidentally (no one ever sees their nature "on purpose") sees their nature, they must get to work in order to stabilize and mature their newly discovered power of selfless potential. The maturation process in the aftermath of the sudden takes a lifetime. The gradual process of self-refinement before and after the sudden is an endless, ever-developing journey. There is actually a point to it all. Enlightenment is not about getting anything because there's nothing to get. It's not about being happy. It's about being able to harmonize perpetual (uncreated) enlightening activity with (created) conditions impersonally, in the midst of ordinary situations unbeknownst to anyone. It's neither easy nor difficult. One doesn't do it. It's spontaneous, but in order to actualize it, one must be able to see it. It's inconceivable, that's all. Furthermore, one must have an abundance of receptive virtue (potential) in order to carry this out according to the time. It's not the person. The person, in the final analysis, is the inert ingredient, and the spirit is impersonal (non-psychological). One's gradual practice in the aftermath of the sudden amounts to using everyday ordinary situations to grind down and polish the remnants of egregious ego-defects (not ego itself!!), so that ego can be of ultimate service to one's actualized enlightening being's spontaneous, spiritually (wordlessly) motivated action, which is neither the person nor otherwise. Enlightening being does not rely on the power of the individual; it uses the potential inherent in each situation (created energy cycle) itself. Enlightening activity is not good or bad, self or other, nice or mean, right or wrong, or even before or after. It's inconceivable. So since it doesn't have anything to do with "happiness" per se, I don't talk about that. I have to talk about "difficult" things such as Suchness. That is the nature of reality, which is neither created nor absolute. That's not because of what reality is (it doesn't exist), but because that's how reality works. In order to work directly with reality, one must be the same as reality. In order to do that, one must see reality in terms of reality~ and that's inconceivable. One must be able to see conditions as they are; objectively and impersonally, which is the meaning of selflessness. Selflessness has nothing to do with some kind of moral imperative or ideal. It's the nature of true reality, your unborn nature. Therefore, enlightening activity is all about being able to work with what is by seeing reality as is and dealing with conditions on their own terms without denying anything— while simultaneously seeing through phenomena (because its nature is emptiness)— no different than the Absolute. You see, the unborn Absolute and Creation's infinite realms are the same thing. Reality and delusion look the same because they are the same, in terms of potential. All be told, there isn't even one thing, much less two. Let's hear it for the homeland of nothing whatsoever! When one sees their nature, one realizes the potential to be neither a same nor different nature than creation's essence. That's the power of one's inherent uncreated enlightening being: the potential to be a partner with creation's potential without going along with creation in terms of its created (karmic) cycles. It's called buddha-nature for a reason! That only means something relative to inherent potential— and that means it's inconceivable. For some people, it's just their 24/7 day-job… and no one knows why because there is no reason why. It's just the way it is for no reason. People become buddhas and buddhas become people, that's all❤︎ ed note: typo, 9th; add "(it doesn't exist)", 18th; typo, 23rd paragraph
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deci belle replied to deci belle's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
Ooooooh~ excellent comment, mr Monkey-man— and thank you too!! This gets right to the heart of taoist spiritual alchemy, which is the work of manipulating the dross to realize the noble. Of course, all the authentic teachings of transcendent action over creation carried out during the course of this planet's inconceivably long history are the same in this regard. I am most familiar with the taoist tradition, so I refer to its terminology when convenient. In order to work directly with reality (which is inconceivable), it is necessary to see through phenomena without denying its characteristics. Put another way, when one has sufficient receptive virtue to accomplish it, one's inherent enlightening function sees through appearances and responds according to the time using the essence of each situation's innate potential. This is spiritual alchemy. It consists of two aspects; the science of Essence and the science of Life. Often, I say that one responds to situations without relying on one's own power. The above paragraph describes the context of this being the case. Each situation is created, and therefore karmic. Since creation is the incremental nature of the all-at-once absolute uncreate, it is possible for (by virtue of the incremental and the absolute sharing the same essence) enlightening beings to partake of the potential inherent in all creation, in order to transcend karma by working directly with its (karma's) essence. Activation of one's enlightening function is called seeing reality. Buddhism calls this activating, or opening the "Dharma-eye". Human being typifies a specific range of potential insofar as its capacity is a type of awareness specific to humanity. Human being is a verb; the word human, is the adverb modifying the verb being. Human being is not a title, per se, it is a type of awareness particular to our collective, or unified being. I didn't say "collective consciousness"— that's something else: that's what perpetuates karmic bondage. Buddhism calls that the Storehouse Consciousness. Human being is by nature inconceivable, as is awareness, no different than the essence of creation, the absolute, and our selflessly aware unified potential. That which is unified has no differentiation; that's how there is selflessness, ie: no self/other. As a side-note, the characteristics of the psychological apparatus of the being that is going to die is a functionally universal consensus of humanity on this planet derived via the so-called Storehouse Consciousness, and is therefore not inherent— it is attributable to karmic evolution. In contrast, the nature of human being is selfless, awake and uncreated. It is unattributable— or rather it is the light of awareness itself, the source of awareness which is uncreated. Jesus said, "I am the Light." He wasn't lying. No one is none other than this light of awareness. As far as created cycles go, every created cycle is a complete cycle, even those containing many other cycles over lifetimes. In terms of an ordinary situational cycle, even if that be a single thought; it is born, it waxes, wanes, and dies. Often, other thoughts arrive before a current thought goes back to where it came from, which is, ultimately, nowhere. This is the law of creation. It's how karma works. That's the way of creation. To address Monkey-man's other concerns relative to karma, here's the deal: if you know that karma is empty by a direct and powerful confluence of conditions, and that knowledge has real power developed over a long time of self-refinement, karma loses its power over one's potential, which is, effectively, freed from the karmic matrix. This is the practical aspect of liberation. It doesn't have to be relative to the individual because enlightening being is selfless. There is no self. Karma is just the sphere of activity, enlightened or not, that people are subject to by virtue of having selves. There is nothing else in terms of creation. Karma is creation which is conscious momentum. Ancient adepts who learned how to work with creation by using its own laws, developed traditions over eons to keep this knowledge alive. All awareness teachings are the same in this regard because the non-psychological capacity or potential of human being is spiritual. The non-psychological is spiritual. It is an inconceivable vessel. Its potential can transcend creation and those who recognize it as themselves enter into the inconceivable as easy as one turns over one's hand. Not-thinking is what-it-is; before the first thought is when it is. It is possible to rest here in perpetuity. Taoism calls this resting in the highest good; Buddhism calls this the pedestal of awareness. There is a critical juncture in each and every created cycle. One can learn to see it. The critical juncture is the precise moment when the waxing potential becomes exhausted and the waning potential becomes active. This is the critical juncture that spiritual alchemists watch for. It is not within the realm of intellect. The ratio-syncretic human mentality is muuuuch too slow to see reality. It is a matter of not-thinking; it is in following desires without stepping over the line; it is through not being attached to outcomes. The provisional entry-level awareness exercise approached by beginners is called "meditation", or "just sitting". This is not authentic meditation at all. Just sitting is a long process of practicing for the real deal which slowly develops into what is referred to as continuous subtle concentration. The unbending intent carried out over a long long time to arrive at continuous subtle concentration is for the purpose of seeing the critical juncture, in order to carry out the spontaneous activity of humanity's innate enlightening function, which is natural. One does not do it. In the process of arriving at continuous subtle concentration observing essence, or potential, one naturally accumulates virtue. It is not a result of rote meditation, but of actually seeing Reality in the midst of delusion. Seeing reality is itself gathering potential. To repeat, it is not a matter of doing anything. True meditation is 24/7 continuous subtle concentration arriving at spontaneous gathering of potential by the power of receptive virtue. So this talk of ego-death is a bit of a misnomer, albeit quite literal in terms of the "interruption of (its) consciousness" which is an instantaneous result experienced as a selflessly aware vision, before time/creation, of inherent aware potential in and of itself. If the experience is then successfully cured and matured in its aftermath over a sufficient period of time, the result is simply the re-dedication of the ego-function to rightly serve the properly entrusted enlightening-function of human (enlightening) being whereby the (ego's) original capacity is fulfilled and it's conditioned (errant) action is forgotten in perpetuity. Buddhahood is not conferred by sudden enlightenment. The "sudden" can be termed the time of planting the seed of buddhahood in the homeland of nothing whatsoever. A life-long process of advanced practice is just "chopping wood and carrying water." Spiritual powers are not worth talking about. One's fiercely unequivocal insight is an aspect of seeing without employing self-reifying psychological patterns. Infusing one's life with non-reifying awareness is enlightening practice. Therefore, enlightening being's potential, as well as its function, is not the person. Its power is impersonal (selfless) and dependent on the potential inherent in the situation itself. One does not rely on one's own power to act selflessly. Why? One ceases being a separate entity simply by virtue of seeing reality because being of the absolute nature of awareness, as is the essence of creation, those who are spiritually adept partake of the nature of awareness, which is unified. Unity is as unity does, therefore the power of one's selfless, spontaneous action in response to situations is derived from the power or the potential of the situation itself, being karmic. Those who are able to work with essence directly with no intermediary, work with karma's essence— just the same as reality, therefore they can go along with creation without being subject to its laws which are created. Awareness is unborn. It's not about the physical, yet the euphemism of "ascending to Heaven in broad daylight" long ago passed into the Chinese folk-vernacular thousands of years ago, and evidently for a reason. So that Jesus guy wasn't the only one by a long-shot (and Jesus naturally had to dramatically and gruesomely die first, and THEN resurrect from death before doing the right thing~ sheesh). Some cultures are really thick… Selflessness, to clarify the word in terms of spiritual alchemy, or enlightening activity, is not a measure of emotionalism relative to conventional views of what "compassion" might imply. Enlightening activity is not good or bad, or relative to right or wrong, self or other— much less before or after. I tell you, inconceivability has no limit. People's nature and the totality of reality is truly in the realm of inconceivability. It's a mystery. Enlightening beings are those whose receptive virtue is sufficient to match creation's potential with "their" potential in terms of the essence of Reality, which is neither created nor uncreate. This is the meaning of Suchness. When one realizes the inherent virtue to accomplish it, inconceivability comes to the fore naturally and selflessly without anyone knowing. I will leave you with one last morsel: the critical juncture, in taoist terminology, is called the Yin Convergence. Oh~ and one last tease (heeheehee …zzo naughty), one furthermore "takes over creation and steals its potential" in the instance of the critical juncture by mastering the third and fourth hexagrams, Difficulty and Darkness. One then withdraws and stores the potential in secrecy void of intellectualism to await its natural refinement. Taoist alchemy calls the period of withdrawal in secrecy the "ten months of incubation" per the gestation period of the human embryo before it is freed from the womb. One goes along with creation in order to free the potential bound by karma's incremental nature. People have that capacity. Finally, I want to make sure that the following is understood with absolute clarity: ENLIGHTENING ACTIVITY IS NOT DEPENDENT ON SEEING YOUR NATURE (that is, experiencing sudden enlightenment). The occurrence of the sudden is the result of a critical mass of "accumulated" potential having been reached by virtue of selfless accord with reality while in the midst of everyday ordinary situations. I say that by virtue of my own personal experience— and I must admit that I didn't know what was happening, other than knowing the feeling that it was all just me (not separate). Taoism has a saying that the world is the sage. "It all being just me" is the fruition of the saying's true meaning. There has never been a single person who is not conceived in the womb fully and perfectly enlightened. Mind is one. Mind is itself enlightenment. Enlightened awareness is selflessly so. It is the way it is and no one knows why. ed note: add "…That which is…", 5th; add 8th; add "…it is following…", 14th; add last two paragraphs -
deci belle replied to egoless's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
Why does consciousness exist? It's actually a fine question to ask. More people ought to ponder such things and keep drilling into it themselves it until they bore all the way through! And I'm sso qualified to poke at this question with at least the advantage of a ten foot pole… First of all, people should come to the realization, or at least acceptance that there is no why. There is no reason. Suchness is so for no reason at all and nobody knows why. That is the fact of the matter. Looking deeply in the source of conscious awareness (not conscious awareness itself; I'll get to that subsequently), the ancients called the unknowable source an emptiness which is not empty, or a void which is void of voidness. I call it selfless knowledge of the absence of absence. Emptiness which is not empty is not a cute word game such as I see so often~ it is just as far as people can go into the unknowable. It is the limit of the extreme. There is no why. It is certainly possible for people to have knowledge of this and the fact is that people have been going to this precise limit for eons— it's not religion: it's the source of religion. I had to touch on "word games" because working with Reality has nothing to do with words. There is no explanation. So let's touch on mr godhead. At best, god is a name for the un-nameable. At the very least, in terms of symbolism, god is the practical equivalent of Saturn. When I saw god, he had a white beard and he was sitting at the veil between this side and having passed through. He was a real sweety-- I kissed the top of his bald head and went right on through on to the vaulting horizon (that was just a vision~ not a real experience). God is a bellhop. If it's a person's predilection to pass through, god will let you kiss his bald head as you pierce the veil. In terms of projections of the human psyche, god is a deified image of ego in that something has to take credit for what is— unless of course you know better. God is not creator. Why? Because awareness is not created and awareness is who you really are. Therefore, there is no creator. It is a myth~ a likely story. Specifically, awareness is un-created in that it has never begun— that's your unborn aware nature. Beginningless isn't a reference to some incalculable age. Awareness is literally un-created— it is perpetually a priori to creation. Yet it is not different. There it is, on the verge of going into action in perpetuity— and it has never moved; but it's not a static thing …it is an inconceivability in terms of living, aware selfless potential. That's a real experience, but it is not yet wonderful. This is one's true selfless identity, and you can see this by virtue of interrupting your individual false conscious awareness relative to the personality's psychological patters of self-reification that perpetuate one's conscious awareness. Ego's fault is to completely usurp the identity of the "real human with no status" and hold on to its baseless power-trip with endless schemes and subterfuge to obfuscate its inherent source of insecurities. Ego must be put on a leash, that's all, and that's a long process called self-refinement. The "real human with no status" is the real body of awareness which has no location. When self-refinement has reached a critical mass, the ego-function reverts to its rightful relationship with your selfless, real identity. It's a good thing. All people are just this. People are actually inconceivable beings; in terms of your own selfless nature, death does not exist and that which has never entered into the created is awareness. It is not a thing. People just don't know this, so they make things up to suit their fancy in lieu of direct experience because they would rather chase after fascinations which consequently keep them bound to the realm of karmic evolution. Ego is ignorant of this, so it takes the person along with it. Ego is not yours. As well, ego is not a thing. It is just a necessary function of the individual conscious awareness which has run amok. Therefore, modern humanity has no conscious advantage over those who have lived and died for essentially ever. Current technology is just current, that's all. Technology has not always relied on hardware~ and let's not get hung-up on semantics (ie: software). We're not advanced; we're precisely on schedule. So, moving right along in that regard… Ok, I said I'd get to consciousness or conscious awareness per se. Specifically, again: there is no why. It is the temporal aspect of Mind. In terms of technical terminology, conscious awareness is the human mentality; real knowledge is the aspect of the absolute which is experienced as immediate knowledge which can be as self-evident as knowing you are hearing a dog or a cat. No deliberation is necessary: it is ascertained immediately. This is your mind right now. Enlightenment is not a different mind. Does it exist or not? I'll say it again for all the smarty-pants who know better: Those who discover their nature realize it self-evidently simply due to forgetting words. No words is no-thought, that's mind right now. Mind is inconceivable; the self-reifying human is a phantom existence no different than people. Existent or non-existant~ it doesn't matter. What matters is that people clarify the basis of mind which is ungraspable. Clarify it right in its tracks. Mind is one, yet in terms of the manifestation of the psychological apparatus, one has somewhere to begin. One uses the unmoving to observe the moving. Stopping and seeing, one gains insight into the nature of mind, and by extension, reality… but I'll get to that later. The temporal manifestation of mind moves; the absolute quality of mind is unmoving. Perceptibly, for those who have observed the quality of the shining mind, in just sitting meditation, it is solid, with no inside or outside. I do not relegate the term "infinite" or "infinity" to the absolute. I qualify creation, karmic evolution and the infinite as the same thing. Why? Because the absolute has no inside or outside; it has never begun. There is nothing to know; knowledge in terms of the all-at-once is simply an impersonal intent, selflessly so, empty yet void of emptiness, awake. I waited until now to express observations relative to conscious awareness because one needs to differentiate between spiritual non-psychological awareness and conscious awareness constituting the psychological apparatus of the being that is going to die. In terms of creation and the created, including the individual and its personality-consciousness, there is nothing "in it". Being no different that the nature of enlightenment, it is wholly illusion, utter illusion, magnificent illusion, world and universe-creating illusion. Ultimately, nothing at all is happening. In other words, illusion is not happening to the individual at all because the whole of creation is the complete totality of each individual. I say that the mystery is not the Absolute— it is uncreated; the mystery is Creation. There is only one thing to do if you have the audacity to explore the grand mystery of mysteries— And I'm sorry if it sounds hocus-pocus, but Reality is neither created nor un-created. It is possible to work with Reality directly with no intermediary by seeing through phenomena without denying its characteristics. Creation is where you do it; there is no other place. Buddhism calls that which is neither created nor absolute Suchness. The hallucination looks the same whether one is deluded or illuminated because the extremes of clinging or aversion to temporal incremental inevitability and clinging or aversion to the absolute enlightening nature are BOTH delusion. That's why buddhism calls the middle way the Supreme Vehicle of buddhas. So the hallucination is all there is to work with in terms of enlightening activity in the world. Ordinary people go along with the flow of the light of creation in terms of karmic evolution for infinitely endless cycles of bondage and those who see reality without clinging to either extreme follow the same light in reverse to its source. Actually, in terms of karma you move because there is change. Those who follow the light in reverse are the same as the nature of awareness, unmoving and uncreated in terms of their innate enlightening function in the midst of everyday ordinary situations. Where else would enlightening activity take place? There is actually a device of sorts involved in going one way or the other. It is called selfless open sincere intent. I mentioned the absolute aspect of this quality of mind six paragraphs above. In a nutshell, recognizing this quality of mind enables one to transcend the vagaries of ordinary situations without deliberation in terms of right and wrong, self and other, and even before and after. These are the irrelevant aspects of what constitutes basic hang-ups. Shit happens. It is not only necessary to deal with shit effectively— dealing with shit is how you actually evolve as an enlightening being. No shit. Finding reality in the midst of shit is a subtlety of advanced practice. Enlightenment isn't a thing to get. The sudden is just a passing result of the consequential enlightening activity effected in the course of working directly with potential in the midst of situations by virtue of the device I mentioned. That which aids one in using shit without employing deliberation is this open sincere intent. Why? Open sincerity is selfless; it just doesn't care. It's another name for impersonal compassion that just gets shit done according to the time. I call it ruthless compassion. How else would it be possible to kill a buddha? The buddha is your own mind right now. Can you kill it? The only place to get shit done is in the midst of this grand illusion. Manifestation doesn't happen in the mind— it is Mind. There is no reason. ed note: typos/gramar in 7th paragraph; then add this and that here and there; more dang typos in 9th paragraph!! -
deci belle replied to Faceless's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
In my definition, reality is seen by the mind that does not think— it doesn't think, it's just awake. Its knowledge is immediate, as in knowing whether water tastes cold or not without deliberation. That's what knows. Actually, it's who knows. Who is that? It's just selfless awareness, your own mind right now. It's not just that non-discursive mind sees reality— it alone is what is reality. I can say that! When oneself partakes of reality, then one sees reality. It's not good or bad, it's just what is, and you can see it as it really is without discriminatory psychological projections. Reality is spiritual; it is non-psychological. In my experience, reality looks exactly the same as delusion. So reality is not appearances, and though it is subtle to discern, there is no difficulty or deliberation required— that is, it is not attributable to thinking. Also, reality is not different than delusion. If not for delusion, there is no way to see reality. That's not philosophy— this world is inconceivable, and so are people. Being happily bound by the human mentality is just a reflection of habit-energy (thought). In Faceless' last line: Being bound, happily or not, is not what is known as liberation. Liberation is seeing what is, as it is, without deliberation— that is, non-discursively or non-psychologically. So the nature of reality is …what? Even better, since reality can actually be seen, not explained, in the midst of everyday ordinary situations, what is the point of so-called spiritual practice? I can say that so-called effective spiritual practice is that which results in the cessation of habit-energy. Habit energy is kinetic; it has momentum. What is the result of cessation of habit-energy? Spontaneity; presence; enlightening activity that responds impersonally to inevitability without relying on one's own power. How? It's spontaneous impersonal response to conditions by virtue of non-psychologically aware presence. Buddhism calls this spiritual adaption, or mutual response, or arrow-points meeting, or box and cover fitting. One's personal self is not separate from situations, as the potential for spiritual response is inherent in the situation itself— therefore, one does not rely on one's own power to meet creation due to its (creation's) inherent latent spiritual potential if you can see it. It's the meaning of non-doing. Non-doing in response to situations is authentic spiritual practice. Renunciatory and remedial programs are not quite on par with enlightening activity, but we all have our parts to carry out— in concert. The reason why it is essential to wonder what the nature of reality is, as Faceless has articulated, is to bring its inconceivable potential into one's sphere of attention— and that is a matter of will, or intent. Even the Absolute, which is prior to the primal organization constituting incrementality, or process-oriented causation, is an impersonal, selflessly aware intent. Intent is an extremely powerful, if subtle, innate aspect of humanity. It eventually enables people to enter the inconceivable; the Causeless. I would say, beyond any speculation, that in terms of humanity's potential for reversion to, and actualization of, its innate spiritual, non-psychological capacity (which ego is best-suited to serve without peer), is a burgeoning sense of openly sincere objectless intent, as the most direct path to realizing the nature of reality, which must first be recognized, and only then (eventually) harmonized with conditions spontaneously after a maturation process requiring the individual to withdraw from conventional activity in a discrete and subtle way without shrinking from society. The nature of reality isn't a thing. The Absolute is all-at-once; Duality is incremental; they are not different, nor are they the same. Buddhism calls this Suchness. Adepts are able to see reality in the midst of delusion and have developed the "skill" necessary to operate within the context of delusion without going along with creation in such a way as to give karma its due while they "steal" its potential to develop inconceivable awareness for the benefit of oneself and others.. Why? Obviously it's not about good or bad, self, other, or before or after— it's about using potential for self-refinement. To be sure, self-refinement isn't about good and bad, right and wrong. Enlightenment is just a sign-post on the endless path of perpetual transformations entering into the profound mystery without end. For those who seek within the clarity of spiritual potential, there is only wonder. It's not particularly easy or difficult. -
deci belle replied to Buba's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
Enlightenment is so before the first thought— it doesn't exist after the first thought, I assure you— hahahhaa!! If it's you experiencing "enlightenment"— it's not enlightenment. If the experience is utterly impersonal~ then there's potential for refinement. I also assure you that enlightening experience is a cosmic reversion to who you are really is, which is not the person. Is that wonderful? Not yet. This thread becoming a discussion of drug-aids's validity for spiritual/awareness evolution works fine… enlightening experience is no different— and that goes for how any benefit is to be realized in terms of an experientially transcendent event's aftermath (which is the OP's stated concern). If you think that psychedelics can give you mental baggage… delusion does not miraculously go away after any kind of experience (someone wanted to make a distinction between experience and one's "state" of mind. One's life, not to mention this universe, is impermanent— and it's hardly worth splitting a hair's difference between the two in that regard. Enlightenment is a HUGE dose of what one's inconceivable nature is. D'ya think experiential knowledge of the absence of nothing is a trifle to get over? The point is, mind is one; enlightened or deluded. Obviously, it's a real challenge for most everybody to just forget to think. That, essentially, is what constitutes seeing one's nature (forgetting thought). Thought is itself what constitutes ego and the whole cluster of psychic patterns constituting the psychological apparatus of the being that is going to die. That's all it amounts to. Drug use can help, yes— but not without the right approach, which is different for each individual. Some don't need it, and others should absolutely defer. Otherwise, there really is a benefit to a proper introduction for employing effective drug usage when psychotropics are taken at the right time for the right reason by certain people. But there is this thing called topic drift, so in getting back to what the above post touched on… As Simon said (heehee), in his last line, when you see that there is no thing (matter)~ then what's the matter? Knowing that is liberation. It's real. Contemplating, or just accepting Simon's no enlightenment is fine as an intellectual abstract, but there really is a point of illumination. Being jerked around by psychotropics, even if by chance one IS jolted out of one's mind (in the most beneficial way) to trigger a mystic vision beyond the self-referenced to arrive at seeing one's impersonal, inconceivable nature— is beyond a meaningless waste unless it can be beneficially incorporated into one's life. If one is not ready to harness one's innate inconceivable potential in a VERY real way …which is not so obvious, there will be no benefit. "Enlightenment" is not a kick— something to tick off one's bucket-list. Even those imbued with the secret light of virtuous reception of open sincerity are already practicing the authentic spiritual operations beyond convention without even bothering with concerns about seeing one's nature (with or without the aid of drugs) before sudden enlightenment. Enlightenment is not the deal. It's merely the result of seeing reality as is and adapting to ordinary conditions impersonally. I sense there is a faction on this forum that considers enlightenment a "thing". The potential for enlightenment is what karma is made of. It's not somewhere else. It's not something you get from anything, much less drugs. Situations are already your own mind. It's inconceivable. Wonder of wonders. Buddhism calls this fact the Supreme Vehicle of buddhas~ it's not within the capacity of hipsters with a penchant to employ ultimate ambitions for unconventional kicks to enter into. Yet one must be prepared somehow. As if. I would suggest cultivating a sense of wonder imbued with beatitude. How might one come to such a "state"? It's called self-refinement. Self-refinement has nothing to do with good or bad, right or wrong, before or after~ it's a matter of open sincerity. At any rate, Smileyone said, speaking of ingesting drugs: I must disagree with this absolutely fallacious statement at the first word— and there is nothing I could possibly add to that. I've already addressed the last sentence in the above quote. As for "…but it rarely stays with you.", this is the concern of the OP— and a wonderful insight! This is also a key point of contemplation for authentic practice to arrive at the production of the flowering of potential in the midst of ordinary situations that only you can know. People who have not seen their nature rarely conceive of the thought that others can, have, and will see Reality beyond any self-reified conditionality and apply that real knowledge to everyday ordinary situations unbeknownst to anyone. Secret practice by the light of true potential is inconceivable practice, based on Reality. It is not a matter of psychologically perceived postures in terms of conventions of good and bad. Take drugs, then forget drugs. They will never help you get anything of lasting value. Enlightenment is no different: see your nature on your own (because there is nothing to be transmitted being that essence is literally no-thing), then profoundly seek instruction on how to apply its potential. Trying to hang on to any experience, or state, for that matter, is CLINGING. Clinging to an hallucination (be that of a temporal or even absolute nature), is ALREADY delusion. Yet delusion, this one thing (creation) right here and now, is all there is to work with, in terms of enlightening activity. This is the work of buddhas, and there is no one here who is not already a buddha where he or she stands AS IS. Enlightenment is what is reading these words right now. Of course, if you do not have enough power to see it, there is no benefit— yet it is so whether one knows it or not. Clinging is a mental disease that only serves to strengthen the delusion of having a self. The essential definition of the word delusion is being ignorant of the fact of one's ignorance. Yet the knowledge of one's state of true ignorance (not-knowing) is enlightenment. Enlightenment isn't the mystery— creation is the mystery!! The point of really experiencing the inconceivability of the nature of the absolute is to see who you really are as who you really are: it's not you. So who is the knowledge? Awareness is the nature of the selfless. Awake is what is inconceivably so. Enlightenment is actually none other than your essential nature right now— it is unborn; death doesn't exist either. Simon's statement encompasses the idea of the riddle; I don't have the gift of simplicity-- but I go much further in terms of approaching its application —that's my deal. Experience of the absolute is not permanent relative to created karmic evolution in practical mnemonic terms by the individual, but for those who are blessed with inconceivable wonder and begin to enter into its light, living and aware— even as other vie for experiential proofs for the sake of adventure, endless selfless transformations in the midst of karmic bondage are the norm, independent of any instantaneous flash of absolute reality. Some are born knowing. Yet a lifetime is not much more than an instantaneous illusional flash of the dregs of created energy, whereas self-refinement is the process of going in reverse. Some call that alchemy. What taoism calls spiritual immortality is a quest through the actualization of a partnership with creation in such a fashion as to use (steal), incrementally, creation's essential potential, bit by bit, by virtue of one's selfless adaption to ordinary situations. It's not good or bad, but just in seeing its potential (and not using it). Buddhism calls this "saving energy". It's the "sparks" of mystical Judaism. There really is something to this enlightenment thing if you know how to not-do it. It's your mind before the first thought— that's what sees Reality. The trick is to see it when it arises spontaneously, whenever that may occur, over and over and over, until its source becomes stabilized as the world-at-large. Taoism says that "the world is the sage". Reality looks exactly the same as delusion, so it's not a matter of appearances. When you see it, there has never been a context for the OP's concern for gain or loss. ed note: typo in 5th; add the word "usage" in the 6th; "yet" in 21st paragraph -
I don't understand the idea of "defeating the ego". It seems that just empowers the ego. For me, it's more about the awareness that the ego exists and is illusionary. And for me, the traditional concept of "understanding" is loaded with ego. This mysterious impersonal infinite consciousness seems beyond the traditional use of "understand". I suppose one could use the term in a novel way, yet at that point I'd prefer to use a new term to avoid confusion.
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I can't recognize, how much of me is actually in the yellow stage. I'm usually very impersonal, not as in concentrating on others, but separating 'me' from my thoughts, and contemplating a lot about a number of things. I went through both orange and green, when I was in middle school. Green was the most prominent phase of my life, which spanned almost 2-3 years . But now, I feel like as if my orange and green parts have become more subconscious ( Influencing my feelings, thought pattern starters, etc.) But are still a big part of me ( 1/3rd each). For example, one of my deepest motivations come from excelling at something, and not being the crowd average; I can very easily put myself into someone's shoes, etc. Am I misleading myself at this stage or is this correct, guys?